Over billions of years an accretion of matter and propitious conditions has produced biological life. From this crucible, mysterious layers of consciousness have been poured, capturing thought in frozen things. People study these humanly "things" as they rest in their time slots across the millennia; frozen consciousness (art) cross-fertilizes intellectual pursuits, demonstrating evolutionary symbiosis where one advances the other. Enlightenment, nurturing, healing, seem to be main categories of the biology of aesthetics.

Art is steeped in evolution thus is rich in a purpose: adaptive survival. In good hands art enlivens thought, ultimately cultivating existence. Art arises as a fundamental learning apparatus with a myriad of roles operating on all levels of consciousness within artist and community, irrespective of content.

To pose an illustration, color is highly appealing to us because of its profound role in assisting and ensuring survival of our species. Its appeal is instinctual, providing a means of categorization and signification of our environment. If color played a negative role in adaptive evolution, it would repulse us. Color perception is human-kinds' extraordinary agent.